1. Technical Field of Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to foldable and stowable tables and, more specifically to a deployable video conference table capable of being stowed and deployed as needed in close quarters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Video conferencing involves the use of video cameras and viewers to provide the participants with visual as well as audio communication. Where space is not limited, video conference centers may employ any of a variety of known fixed conference tables, while the video cameras tend to be manned, mobile structures which can be positioned at any point around the table. Similarly, the viewers or monitors can be positioned at any point around the table which is most convenient for the participants seated at the table. Conference facilities typically accommodate several dozen people and their principal function seems to be for press conferences. Rarely are the video conference facilities used for "working sessions" in which the participants examine and share technical data, or engage in planning activities or make decisions as part of their work life.
Television studios are also utilized for viewing and monitoring multiple images at the same time. These use elaborate switch gear to assign images from individual cameras to specific monitors or to multiplex (videoplex) the images onto a single monitor screen. However, television production studios usually employ a number of different people including technicians and editors to operate this complicated equipment.
For aircraft or space vehicles, space is much more confined to the point that the typical video conference equipment used on earth is not practical to use. It is essential that any single crew member should easily be capable of operating the videoplexing functions and use the work station without becoming entangled in a complex operating system and that several crew members be able to share in the conference with access to the technical information displays and materials.
A wardroom table was used in space as part of the Skylab Project of NASA. However, this table was completely independent of any work station and had no specific relationship to video conference facilities. The Skylab table design included clamp-like leg restraints to keep the crew members at their place, while the table itself was designed with a minimal knowledge of zero-gravity neutral body posture and anthropometrics.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,114 describes an improvement over the table that was used in the Skylab Project. This table includes surfaces that are adjustable in angle to compensate for the changes and variations in sightline and body size of the various crew members in zero gravity.
Generally speaking, when NASA crews hold video conferences or press conferences in the space shuttle orbiter cabin, the crew members are gathered in front of a fixed camera in an upper corner or the mid deck ceiling, restraining themselves as well as possible on whatever hand holds are available or within reach. If a shuttle crew member needs to write while participating in the video conference, he or she must hold a clip board with one hand to restrain it from floating away while writing with the other hand.
Generally, video conference tables and conference centers, whether for terrestrial or space applications, suffer from several disadvantages. With respect to terrestrial facilities, they are designed and built for operation in 1-G, which means different ergonomic and anthropometric and body posture considerations than for space applications.
Also, conferencing techniques employed in the past for space lab missions, as well as for shuttle missions, suffer from the disadvantage that the crew members can be seen by conference participants on the ground, but the ground-based participants could not be seen by the crew members. This makes for a difficult interpersonal dynamic between the ground staff and crew members.